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[601 S. Sycamore - Pearlstone / Maier House]

Description

Photograph of the front of the "Pearlstone/Maier House," a two-story house with brick veneer, located at 601 S. Sycamore in Palestine, Texas. It has Spanish Colonial Revival-style architectural details.

Provided By

Palestine Public Library

Located in Anderson County, the Palestine Public Library provides access to information and various programs for the community's benefit. They received a Rescuing Texas History grant to aid in digitization of select materials, including photos taken during a Historic Resources Study in 1991.

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What

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Description

Photograph of the front of the "Pearlstone/Maier House," a two-story house with brick veneer, located at 601 S. Sycamore in Palestine, Texas. It has Spanish Colonial Revival-style architectural details.

Physical Description

1 photograph : positive, col. ; 35 mm.

Notes

The residential neighborhood south of the city’s historic downtown contains many late 19th and early 20th century houses; however, a substantial number of 1920s dwellings were built as infill. Most of the residences of this later period are relatively small frame bungalows. This house deviates from the pattern because of its scale, materials, and design. The 2-story house with brick veneer is also one of the city’s few examples of the Spanish colonial Revival style. Few alterations detract from its historic character, and the building retains much of its integrity. German immigrant Solomon Maier and his Texas-born wife Lucy had this house built in the mid-1920s. Mr. Maier came to Palestine in 1882; his various endeavors included operating a wholesale tobacco company, a saloon, and working at a bank. He was vice-president, and later the second president of the Palestine Salt & Coal Company, which mined half a million tons of salt and 25,000 tons of lignite west of Palestine during the first half of this century. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Maier continued to live in the house through the 1940s. Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Hamilton were later owners of the house. Mr. Hamilton was a son of the founder of the Palestine Herald-Press, while Mrs. Hamilton was the daughter of Martin A. Davey, the prominent oilman who donated the land for the Palestine Dogwood trails.